VIOLENCE COMMITTED BY STRANGERS

n Recent victimization surveys indicate that the levels of fear among Canadians have increased slightly, despite downward trends in police-reported crime, and despite low levels of violence perpetrated by strangers. n In 1996, approximately one-third (34%) of all victims of police-reported violent crime were victimized by a stranger. Most violent crimes (60%) involved a perpetrator known to the victim. n Robbery is the only violent offence that is typically committed by strangers. In 1996, over eight in ten robberies (83%) were committed by strangers. n Overall, violence committed by strangers is less likely than other types of violence to result in physical injury (41 % for strangers compared to 52 % for non-strangers). n Cases of stranger violence are more likely to involve the presence of a weapon. In 1996, weapons were present in 39 % of violent crimes where a stranger was involved and 28 % of cases where the accused knew the victim. In addition, 12 % of all cases involving strangers had a firearm present compared with only 1 % for other types of violent crime. n Police-reported data indicate that males aged 15 to 24 (24%) made up the largest proportion of those victimized by strangers. Men between the ages of 25 and 34 presented the next largest group (17%), followed by young women between the ages of 15 and 24 (11%). n Male against female violence was the most common type of overall violence, but the least likely to involve strangers. In the large majority of these cases (87%), assailants knew their victim(s), and almost one-half (46%) were spouses. The type of incident most likely to involve strangers was male on male violence. Approximately four in ten (39%) of these cases involved strangers. n Like most violent crimes, homicides are more likely to be committed by someone known to the victim than by a stranger. In 1996, only 14 % of homicide victims were killed by a stranger. 2 Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 85-002-XIE, Vol. 18, No.